cold, cold heart
by eudaemonics
Summary: He doesn't understand this brute at all. Seamountshipping.


**Okay, so I really **_**really**_** like writing seamountshipping, but I never know what to write about for those two losers, so I decided to do the prompt table for the fanfic100 challenge on Livejournal. Keep in mind that there's a good chance I won't finish the table— I probably won't even make it halfway. **

**01. Beginnings.**

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><p>Maxie had told him that they had to act civil towards Team Aqua. <em>Civil<em>, meaning they just couldn't be at each other's throats anymore, not that they had to make friends with it's members and hang out with them– Tabitha definitely didn't expect Maxie to do any of that, he figured he was more likely to see a Snorlax fly than the day Maxie would become friends with Archie– thus, he had no intention of doing so. Being civil just meant he wouldn't cause a commotion when he crossed paths with a member, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with Team Aqua.

Yet, there was one guy he couldn't shake, and battling him had become a weekly routine.

Once a week this brute would travel up to Team Magma's hideout up in Mt. Chimney and challenge Tabitha to a friendly battle. The first time, albeit annoyed with, well, _everything_ this guy was, he decided to humor him. It might even be fun, he thought.

Until he lost, that is.

He demanded a rematch against the barbarian, which he gladly agreed to, and since then they sparred every week.

Honestly, it wouldn't be that bad if Tabitha didn't lose literally every battle between them.

This week was no exception. He returned his collapsed Camerupt back to it's PokeBall with an exasperated sigh, paired with a glare icy enough to freeze the lava boiling within the volcano shot at Matt.

The Aqua admin, however, only laughed. How humiliating.

"You're strong like usual, bro!" He said between deep, booming laughs that could probably rattle the earth.

So_ humiliating_! At that point, Tabitha would have preferred it if the brute just gloated and laughed at him about his victory rather than constantly shoot meaningless praise at him. It almost felt like he was belittling him, like telling a child who crossed the finish line last that _oh sweetie, you didn't lose, you were just the last to win! _

"How can you call me strong," his reply began dull; tired, but sharp nonetheless, "When you're always the victor?!"

At first, Matt only gave him a bewildered look, soon replaced by his usual ear-to-ear smile and a laugh as burly as him.

"Losing doesn't mean you're weak, little man."

"No, actually," Tabitha retorted, "It does."

"You're seriously funny!" The larger man laughed again.

Tabitha rolled his eyes, "I'm so glad I amuse you—"

"Every time I see you, I love you even more!"

He grimaced; there he went with that again. The first time he heard Matt say that, he was quite taken aback, he was a nice mixture of shocked, embarrassed, and flattered. Though, soon, it became apparent that Matt clearly did not mean what any _normal_ person would've meant by those words and now the only effect they had on the Magma admin was disgust.

He was starting to get tired of it.

"Look, I think you've messed with me enough," he sighed as he placed a hand to his now-aching temple, "I admit defeat, so _please_ leave and, for the love of Arceus, don't come b— what are you doing?!"

He was cut short by Matt walking towards him and bending down so he was almost eye-level with Tabitha. Before the other had time to properly react, dark lips, surprisingly soft, met with his. They lingered there for a few seconds, although it felt like ten minutes to Tabitha, before Matt pulled away and stretched his pursed lips to his familiar smile.

Wait.

_Wait, wait, wait, wait_—

"I'll see you later, little Makuhita man!" Matt gave a single wave and turned around to take his leave.

Tabitha, still not completely snapped out of his daze, called out to his bare back, "D-don't think you've won, you brute, I expect a rematch next week!"

As soon as the words escaped his numb lips, he silently scolded himself, wondering if a Gastly had possessed him right then. Despite his disgust, he couldn't fight the small grin forming on his contorted, yet softening, expression.

Even though it had been several weeks since him and the brute started battling, he felt like it was just the beginning of something. What that something was, he was almost scared to find out, but it was _something_.

"Ahya."


End file.
